Rocky Peak wasn’t much—a tiny outpost containing a grocery store, post office, a couple eateries, a gas station, and a small collection of homes. But its setting was beyond spectacular. It hugged the side of a mountain—also called Rocky Peak—amid more soaring peaks, some with pockets of snow still glistening on their shadowed shoulders. The valley below the town offered a stunning view of pristine forests and trails, dotted with other small communities.
At the edge of town, she rolled down the window to take a breath of the mountain air, and instantly began coughing. “Where’s the particulate?” she gasped when she finally got control of herself. “This air is too pure. I can’t deal with it.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Jake said sunnily. “And wait’ll you taste the water. Glacier fresh. Do you
